Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Thanks for sharing. Id love one of those, but the pics under the valve cover scare me... I think Id rather wrench on an LM2500...
Under the valve covers, this car is straightforward. Everything outside the valve covers might give you pause...
The M275 engine is known for its incredible torque curve: 590 ft lbs from 1800 - 5500 RPM as well as the ease with which it can be tuned/tweaked. Lots of folks have 650 hp kits for it. Some folks have pushed it to 1,000 hp. All with the concomitant increase in boost and torque. Interestingly, MB limits the AMG versions of this engine to 1,000NM of torque for drivetrain reasons. That's about 730 ft lbs...arbitrarily imposed as a limit to save the driveline.
But all this power comes at a bit of a price...just to take an example: to change spark plugs requires about 6 hours. There is a good chance you'll break a coil pack. Each coil pack retails for about $1,400.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mercedes-benz-ignition-coil-cassette-2751500780 One for each cylinder bank. The V-12 is stuffed in there so tight that in order to replace the serpentine belt requires draining the cooling system, so you can remove the hoses and electric fan, to gain enough room to get a wrench on the front of the engine.
The suspension is awesome - the car corners absolutely flat and is very smooth all the time. Rides like a limo, corners like a Prorsche. Very impressive for a luxury car of nearly two tons. But the ABC system requires periodic hose replacement. I had one hose rebuilt for $150, replaced one for $300. And the latter (the pulse damper hose) required lifting the engine a few inches to get it out. ABC Struts retail for $1,200 and I had to replace one for an internal sensor failure. The system is filtered and fluid must be changed.
Maintenance on the car requires STAR/DAS - a computer system that allows you to talk to the computers, which are on a fiber optic network. An OBD II code reader is basically useless on this car.
The maintenance challenge is why I was able to buy a car that sold for $135,000 in 2005 for only $22,000 in 2013. It's the most incredible car I've ever seen - absolute luxury, but incredible performance. Heated, power adjustable seats...in the back... And a 12.7 1/4 mile time.
Every car guy should own a V-12. It's the pinnacle of internal combustion architecture. A twin turbo V-12 is even better...But this one presents challenges...
